Foreign trips of arrested Ex-Zirakpur MC executive officer under vigilance scanner

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[google-translator]

The investigation of Vigilance Bureau has revealed that arrested former executive officer (EO) of Zirakpur municipal council, Girish Verma, travelled abroad to multiple countries including Hong Kong, Germany, Thailand and Dubai during his tenure.

Verma, who is currently posted as EO, Bhikhiwind, Amritsar, had been arrested on October 12 for allegedly amassing huge wealth beyond his disclosed sources of his income. He had been sent to five days in vigilance remand on October 13, which ended on Tuesday.

While seeking five days extended custody of Verma from a local court, vigilance officials said they will now investigate if he purchased any property abroad. However, the court extended Verma’s vigilance remand by three days.

“We need to investigate the role of other officials, if any. Girish has a locker in PNB Bank in Panchkula, but we couldn’t open it in absence of his wife as it is a joint bank account”, vigilance told court.

Moreover, the VB’s public prosecutor stated that despite being unemployed, both his wife Sangeeta Verma and son Vikas Verma own a total 10 and five properties, respectively. However, the counsel for Girish argued that Girish’s wife left her job in 2008 and his son also worked for two years, following which he invested in properties.

The counsel for the accused claimed that all the properties owned by Girish were purchased after availing loan.

Taking a strict note of the list of properties, the court however said that it is not easy for a common man to purchase these many properties. “It is difficult for many people to even own a house”, said Harpreet Kaur, chief judicial magistrate said, while hearing the arguments for remand.

Meanwhile, another counsel for Verma, HS Dhanoa, claimed that the bureau failed to recover anything from the accused during a total six days of police custody. “Vigilance had last time submitted a list of nine persons required for interrogation and recovery, but failed to make any recovery. There was no output of the first remand of the accused and thus he should be sent to judicial custody,” Dhanoa said.

Vigilance however accused Girish of not submitting original passports but instead, giving photocopies of the documents.

Verma is facing a case under Sections 13 (1) (b) and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act registered at the VB police station in Mohali.


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